Collapsible tube extruding press



July 26, 1938. G. w. TEMPLE 2,125,249

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE EXTRUDING PRESS Filed Nov. 50, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR George W YZ'mpIe 7/.M L.,,.... ATTO NEY July 26, 1938. e. w. TEMPLE COLLAPSIBLE TUBE EXTRUDING PRESS Filed Nov. 50, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR George W 72mph BY 7 M A T RNEY y 1938- G. w. TEMPLE 2,125,249

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE EXTRUDING PRESS Filed Nov. 30, 1935 5 She'ets-Sheet 3 A"| J as /00 i 744% /a6 4 I 2% INVENTOR Geb qge W YZ'mpIe QZTRNEY Patented July "26, 1938 UNITED STATES OOLLAPSIBLE TUBE .EX'I'RUDING PRESS George W. Temple, New York, N. Y., assignor to Victor Metal Products Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 30, 1935, Serial No. 52,294

7 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for extruding collapsible tubes from soft metal slugs, and

relates particularly to machines designed for the manufacture of collapsible tubes of compara- 5 tively small sizes.

Collapsible tube extruding presses which squeeze a slug of soft metal such as tin, aluminum or the like downwardly into a female d.e by means of a plunger to cause the upward extrusion of the metal from the die and around the plunger are well known. Such machines, however, are comparatively intricate, heavy and of a large size for the purpose of forming collapsible tubes of the larger sizes and are uneconomical to operate for the formation of tubes of the smaller sizes.

My invention therefore contemplates the provision of a simple, inexpensive but efdcient machine designed primarily for the manufacture of tubes of small sizes-safely and economically.

My invention further contemplates the provision of simple means for operating the various moving parts of the machine, and particularly of simple means for swinging the plunger die from extruding position to tube discharging position.

My invention further contemplates the provision of simple but efilcient means for preventing the feeding of slugs to the dies when an extruded tube remains on oris not dismounted from the plunger die.

" My invention further contemplates the provision of simple and efficient means for controlling the tube dismountnig means.

The various objects of my invention will be clear from the description which follows, and from the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved machine.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 40 3- 3 of Fig. 1, showing the slug feeding plate in its retracted position and held against operation.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the plunger die and of the air connections thereto for dismounting the extruded tube from the plunger.

In the practical embodiment of my invention which I have illustrated by way of example, the 50 frame Ill supports the various operating instrumentalities and at its upper end, carries the main drive shaft H on which is fixed the gear [2. Meshing with said gear I2 and mounted on the shaft I3 is the pinion l4, said pinion being driven by the pulley l5, also mounted on the shaft I3,

and rotated through the belt I 6 or otherwise from a source of power not shown.

The drive shaft II is continuously rotated and rotates the crank l1 mounted thereon. Slidably supported for vertical reciprocation in the frame I0 is the cross head l8 suitably connected to the crank I! as by means of the connecting rod I9 and the pin 20. Secured to the cross head for reciprocation therewith is the hopper 2| terminating in a collar 22 slidable on the fixed slug feed tube 23 which terminates at its lower end at the fixed supporting block 24 for the slug feed slide.

It will be understood that circular slugs are dumped into the hopper 2| and owing to the reciprocation of the hopper with the cross head, said slugs assume a horizontal position in the tube 23 and gravitate to the bottom of said tube into the position wherein the bottom slug of the pile may be fed by the feed mechanism provided for that purpose into the female die 48 at the proper time for extrusion by the plunger die 25.

Said plunger die 25 or plunger is preferably made hollow and in two parts. The upper part 26 of the plunger die or plunger .(Fig. 5) is secured to the plunger head 21 and is provided with an opening 28 therethrough. The lower part 29 of the plunger is threaded as by means of the screw connection 30 into the upper plunger part and is provided with the opening 3| communicating with the opening 28 and preferably enlarged as at 32 near its lower end. Secured in the enlarged opening 32 is the discharge pin 33 having a conical outer surface 34 adapted normally to form a continuation of the similar conical die surface 35 at the lower end of the plunger part 29 when the pin is in its retracted position. At its lower end, the opening 32 is'preferably tapered to form the valve surface 13 engaged by the conical valve surface 36 of the discharge pin 33 and thereby to close the opening 32 when said surfaces are in contact, that is when the plunger is lowered into the female die. The pin 33 is supported for vertical movement by means of the cross pin 31 extending through the elongated slot 38 in the discharge pin.

At its upper end, the opening 28 communicates with the T shaped opening 39 in the plunger head 21, said opening 39 in turn communicating with the nipple 40 connected to the flexible air supply pipe 4|, (Fig. 1). The plunger head 21 is carried by the member 42, which is pivoted as by means of the pivot pin 43 to the plunger support 44. Said member 42 is provided with an extension 45 adapted to engage the adjustable stop 46 earried by a member fixed to the frame at the machine.

The member 42 also engages the spring-pressed pin 41 to swing said member and the plunger carried thereby into the tube-dismounting position thereof at the proper time, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The supporting member 44 is suitably secured to the cross head H for movement therewith as a unit, whereby the cross head, the supporting member and the plunger are given vertical reciprocatory movement to cause the plunger while vertical and during the last part of its downward movement to enter the female die 48 to extrude a slug fed into said die, and then while still vertical to move upwardly away from the die with the extruded tube on the plunger. 0n the last part of the upward movement of the plunger, said piunger is swung about its pivot 4.! into the position shown in Fig. 2 for the dis= mounting or discharge of the tube therefrom. Normally, the upper surface 49 on the member 42 is maintained in contact with the lower surface 50 of its support 44 so that the plunger 25 in entering the female die is arranged in its proper vertical position. For this purpose, the adjustable tension spring 5| is provided, one end of said spring heing secured to the hook 52 fixed to the member 42 and the other end of said spring being secured to the rod 53 adjustabiy secured as by means of the nut 54 to a suitable bracket 55 on the frame of the machine.

In the raised or uppermost position of the cross head shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the extension 45 of the member 42 is in contact with the adjustable stop 46 and the plunger 25 has therefore been swung about the pivot 43 into ,the inclined discharge position thereof.

When the cross head moves downwardly, the spring 5| maintains the extension 45in contact with the stop 46 for the first part of the downward movement or until the surface 50 passes the bottom of the stop. During said movement, the pivot 43 moves downwardly, whereby the plunger and the parts secured thereto are swung in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2 until the extension 45 is freed of the stop 46, whereupon the plunger is held by the spring 5| in its proper vertical tube extruding position. To assist the spring 5| in maintaining the plunger 25 in said position, the spring-pressed rod 41 engages the under face of the extension 45 and urges said extension upwardiy, thereby assisting in insuring contact of the surfaces 49 and 50. Further downward movement of the cross head and conseque'ntlyof the plunger in the vertical position thus assumed by the plunger causes the extension 45 to move the rod 41 downwardly and thereby to compress the spring 56 and to exert greater pressure upon said extension 45 to insure maintenance of the plunger in its vertical positionduring the extruding operation. The spring 56 is mounted within the spring cylinder 51 secured tn the frame of the machine, said spring acting against the shoulder 58 of the rod 41 to urge it upwardly.

After the tube has been extruded by the entranceof the plunger 25 into the female die 48 to cause the metal of the slug in said die to squirt upwardly around the plunger 25 and thereby to form atube, the cross head i6 moves upwardly. During said upward movement of the cross head, the spring 56 is permitted to expand whereby the rod 41 maintains its engagement with the under face of the extension 45 and maintains the plunger 25 in its verticai position for a suflicient time to enable the. lower end of the plunger to clear the female die.

After the plunger has left the female die, the extension 45 engages the stop 46 whereby continued upward movement of the cross head causes the plunger te swing forwardly of the machine or in a counter-clockwise direction into the discharge position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The means for dismounting the thus extruded tube carried by the plunger will now be described.

Said means comprises the pipe 58 connected to a source of compressed air and having interposed in the length thereof the valve II and the check valve 6|, said pipe 59 being suitably connected at a point beyond said valves to the pipe 4| leading to the interior of the plunger. The valve 60 is provided with an operating pin 62 extending therefrom, movement of the pin outwardly in one direction by a suitable spring serving to close said valve and movement of the pin inwardly opening the valve. Carried by the cross head is the arm 63 carrying the valve pin operating member 64. In the uppermost position of the cross head illustrated, the valve operating member 64 has Opened the valve by pushing upon. the operating pin 62 thereof, it being understood that said pin 62 is springpressed in a manner which is well understood and hence which need not be shorvn nor described. Air thereby fiows through the pipe 5! past the valve 60, through the check valve 6|, and into the fiexib-ie pipe 4|, and thence into the openings 28 and 3| of the plunger. The blast of air so delivered to the interior of the plunger acts upon the discharge pin 33 to move said pin downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 5, the surfaces 34 of said pin engaging the interior surface of the tube carried by the plunger and exerting sumcient force thereon to move the tube slightly off the plunger and to open a space between the valve surfaces ?3 and 36.

The blast of air passing into said space from the opening 3| acts upon the tube to complete the dismounting of the tube from the'plunger, said tube being discharged into a suitable receptacle or chute 65 and on to a suitable conveyor beit 66.

The conveyor belt 66 passes around the pulley 61 on the shaft 68, which shaft also carries the pulley 69 driven by the belt 10. Said belt passes about the surface of the pulley crank H on the main shaft II and about the pair of idler pulleys I2 and 15. The surface of the crank serves as a pulley for the belt. It will be understood, therefore, that on operation of the machine, the tubes dismounted from the plunger 25 by the air blast fall into the chute 65 and are transferred by the.curved bottom of said chute to the conveyor belt 66 and by said belt are carried to the desired point for further operation thereon.

The means for feeding slugs from the hopper to the female die and for controlling such feeding of sings to prevent a slug being fed when the extruded tube has not been dismounted from the plunger will now be described.

Carried by the bracket 14, suitably secured to the frame of the machineand fixed to said bracket is the block 24. to which are secured,

(Fig. 4), the dovetail guide strips 16 and I1 providing the dovetailspace 13 therebetween. The dovetailed slide 19 is arranged to reciprocate in said space, being guided by the guide strips 15 and H. The slide 19 is of less height than the depth of-said space and carries the feed plate 88 forming an extension of said slide.

The pile of slugs fed through the hopper tube 28 rests on the upper surface of the block 24 in advance of the feed plate 88'when said feed plate is in its retracted position. when the feed plate is moved toward the die 48, it removes the lowermost slug of the pile of such slugs and forwards said lowermost slug into the cavity of the female die. The feed plate is then retracted past the pile of slugs which rests thereon during the retracting movement thereof, and when it has reached the limit of its movement, it permits the pile of slugs to move downwardly through the thickness of one of the slugs and thereby to position another slug for advance to the die by the feed plate.

As will be seen from Fig. 3, the feed plate is preferably notched at its forward end 82 to properly position the slug 8I for advance to the die. The means for reciprocating the feed plate 88 comprises the chain 88 secured at one end to the hook 84 upstanding from the spring-holding member 82 secured to the slide 18 and projecting rearwardly therebeyond, the other end of the chain being secured to the pin on the crank 86. Said crank 86 is mounted for oscillation on the shaft 81, being oscillated by the connecting rod 88 secured to the crank". The chain 88 is passed about the sheave 88 mounted on a suitable shaft supported by an extension of the bracket 14. The chain guard 88 having an upright guard portion 8i, serves to guide the chain in its movement.

It will be seen that on rotation of the drive shaft II and consequent rotation of the crank II, the crank 86 is oscillated, thereby alternatively tensloning the chain and releasing it.

The pull on the chain retracts the feed plate 88 behind the pile of slugs into position for forwarding the bottom slug when the feed plate moves forwardly toward the die. Forward movement of the feed plate is caused during the chain releasing movement of the crank 88 by means of the spring 88 secured at one end to the eye 84 which is fastened to an upright arm 85 of. the spring-holding member 82, the spring being secured at its other end to the ring 86 passed about the hopper tube 23.

Means are provided for preventing operation of the feed plate 88 and thereby preventing any feed of the slugs to the female die should the tube extruded on the plunger 25 not be blown off by the air blast through the pipe 4I when the valve 68 is opened by the arm 63. Said means as shown comprises a diaphragm valve for operating the pin 81 to interpose said pin in front of the slide 18 (Fig. 4), when the feed plate 88 and consequently, when said slide 18 are in their retracted positions, the operation of the valve being dependent upon the air pressure conducted thereto by the pipe 68. The pin 81 is carried by the plunger 88 operating in the cylindrical bore 88 of the upper member I88 of the diaphragm valve. Said pin passes through a suitable opening I M in the block 24, and the plunger 88 is of such length that when moved to the top of the open: ing 88, the pin is in its feed plate stopping position. Carried by the plunger 88 is the diaphragm I82 secured about its periphery between the upper member I88 of the valve and the lower member I88 thereof. A flexible branch pipe I84 connects the pipe 68 to the nipple I85 in the lower part of the valve member I88.

Surrounding the lower part of the plunger 88 is the spring I86 urging said plunger into its whereby the pin 81 is raised and arranged in front of the feed plate 88, which at this time is in its retracted position preparatory to forwarding a slug into the die. Should the tube be blown off the plunger 26, the air in the pipes 4i and I84 is discharged through the opening 18 at the end of the plunger, thereby reducing the pressure on the diaphragm I82 and permitting the spring I86 to lower the rod 81 out of the path of the feed plate. The spring 88 thereby becomes eifective to move the feed plate to forward a slug.

Should, however, thetube not be dismounted from the plunger 26, the air pressure is maintained in the pipes 68 and I84 and the rod 81 is maintained in its raised posititon whereby the spring 88 is ineffective to cause feeding movement of the feed plate, the other motions of the machine, however, proceeding without interruption. When the operator has manually removed the tube 26 from the plunger, the air pressure in the pipe I84 is reduced by the exhaustion of the air through the plunger opening, thereby again causing the rod 81 to be lowered by the spring I86 and the operation of the machine may proceed in the usual manner.

It will be seen that I have provided a simple and efficient machine for adequately performing the work for which it is intended including simple means for positioning the plunger for the dismounting by an air blast of the tubes extruded thereon, and for preventing the extrusion of tubes should any tube not be dismounted from the plunger.

It will further be seen that I have provided a simple machine well designed to meet the requirements of practical use.

While I have shown and described certain speciflc embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, since I intend to claim my invention as broadly as may be permitted by the state of the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a press for extruding collapsible tubes, a vertically reciprocating cross head, a plunger pivotally connected to said cross head for movement about a horizontal axis and also with the cross head, said plunger having a rearwardly projecting extension, and means for maintaining said plunger in vertical position in the lowermost part of the movement of said cross head and for moving said plunger to an inclined position in the uppermost part of the movement of the cross head including a stationary adjustable stop above the extension, a yieldable stop below the extension, and a spring pulling said extension upwardly.

2. In a press for extruding collapsible tubes, a vertically reciprocating plunger pivoted on a horizontal axis, a tension spring connected to the plunger and urging said plunger to swing about said axis into the vertical position thereof, a projection on the plunger, a stationary stop in the upward path of movement of the projection adapted to swing the plunger into an inclined position against the action of the spring during the upward movement of the cross head, and a yieldable stop in the downward path of move- "ment of the projection.

tical position when said surfaces are in contact, means for urging said surfaces into contact during the lowermost part of the movement of said cross head and for urging said surfaces apart to swing the plunger out of vertical position during the uppermost part of the movement of the cross head including a tension spring pulling said first-mentioned member upwardly, and a pair of stops on opposite sides of said first-mentioned member, one of said stops being stationary and the other being yieldable.

4. In a press for extruding collapsible tubes, a plunger, means for vertically reciprocating said plunger, a horizontal pivot for the plunger, a projection on the plunger, a spring pulling said plunger about said pivot into vertical position, a spring-pressed rod arranged in the path of the projection to engage said projection and to swing the plunger into vertical position after said projection has passed a predetermined point in the downward movement thereof, and a stationary adjustable stop member interposed in the upward path of movement ofthe projection to swing said plunger out of vertical position.

5. In a press for extruding collapsible tubes from slugs, means for feeding slugs into extruding position, a plunger for successively extruding the slugs into tubes at said position, air blast means for dismounting the extruded tube from the plunger, and means for preventing feeding operation of the slug feeding meanson the failure of the air blast means to dismount a tube from the plunger, comprising a pin and a flexible springpressed diaphragm valve responsive to the air blast means and operatively connected to the pin to move said pin into the path of the feed plate whilethe tube is on the plunger and to retract said pin from the path of the feed plate when there is no tube on the plunger, said valve including a pair of hollow interengaging members and a flexible diaphragm engaged and held at its periphery by said members and extending across the space in the interior of said members, said pin being carried by said diaphragm and being slidably mounted in one of said members.

6. In a press for extruding collapsible tubes,

-a pivoted plunger, means for vertically reciproeating and for oscillating said plunger, a spring urging said plunger into its vertical position, a spring-pressed rod additionally urging said plunger into and maintaining said plunger in vertical position during the lowermost part of the reciprocation of the plunger in either direction, and a stationary stop in the path of upward movement of the plunger. 1

7. ma press for extruding collapsible tubes, a plunger having a closeable opening therethrough, means for conducting air under pressure to said opening to dismount a tube extruded on the plunger, means for feeding slugs in suc-' cession to a position for extrusion by the plunger, and means including a diaphragm valve operatively connected to said air conducting means for rendering said feeding means inoperative when an extruded tube is not dismounted from the plunger, said valve comprising a threaded first valve member having a chamber therein, a second valve member threaded to the first valve member and having a chamber therein, a flexible diaphragm separating the chambers ofsaid. valve members, a pin passing slidably through one of said members and supported by the diaphragm in position for movement into the path of said feeding means and a spring held by one of said valve members and urging the diaphragm in a direction to retract the pin toward said chambers.

GEORGE W. TEMPLE. 

